Hey girl, hey!
Have you ever been to Portland, Oregon?!
I actually had the pleasure of experiencing my first time in P-town this Spring, buuut if I”m gonna keep it real, I’ll have to be honest… initially I wasn’t all that excited about going.
“What the ‘f’ is in Portland?”, I asked my friends as we were narrowing down our last few choices on where our next trip should be. You see… the point of this whole trip was to land on a destination that none of us had been to before, and with our crew… that could be a bit of a challenging task.
Nevertheless, we decided on Portland and I…. hesitantly agreed. However after visiting, I must say that Bridge City is now one of my very favorite travel spots, and there’s 3 things you absolutely have to experience for yourself! And the best part is… it’s all in the budget (wink)! (pssst... stick around to the end of this post to check out my Portland Vlog)!
1. The Food.
If you’ve been hanging out with me for a while, you know how much I absolutely looove food. That’s honestly where Portland stole my heart (ya’ll know my inner big girl comes out from time to time). Like literally, everything I put in my mouth was sinfully delicious… almost to the point where uncontrollable moans and grunts were drawing attention from others nearby.
Quite embarrassing... but so worth it!
Portland is, for sure, a food lover’s paradise. There’s a plethora of highly rated food spots pretty much everywhere you turn. One tool that helps us decide on where to dine (and spend our hard earned coins) is Yelp.
We always turn to Yelp because it paints a pretty accurate description of what you’re about to get into. There’s pictures of the establishment so that you know what would be the appropriate attire, there’s price categories and menu details so you can filter based on how much you want to spend, and maybe decide what you want before you even get there, and the reviews (which is my favorite part) will tell you if the place is even worth stepping foot into.
My favorite restaurants we stopped by when visiting Portland were Screen Door (the Shrimp & Grits dish is to die for), Pok Pok (because my bestie is Asian at heart and forces me to find my inner Asian), and last but certainly not least, Tasty and Sons (who’s brunch almost made me not want to go back home). If you’re ever in the Portland area, you’ve got to try these spots out. All three places are only two dollar signs ($$), which means it’s affordable, but if you want to cut cost even more… share plates, because the servings are huge and there’s plenty of food to go around! Plus, I can’t forget to mention Voodoo Donuts if you’re in the mood for a sweet treat! It’s unequivocally one of the best donuts I’ve ever had… hands down.
2. The Nature.
Blooming cherry blossom trees, lush greenery, and breathtaking waterfalls is exactly what you’ll see when you visit Portland...especially in the Spring. Perhaps we got lucky (no wait - scratch that), I know we got lucky when it came to the weather during our visit, because the locals repeatedly told us how we’d just missed all the rain and it was the first weekend they’d seen sunshine in a while (talk about thanking our earth angels)!
Nevertheless, we were in awe of all the gorgeousness that surrounded us and because my friends and I are nature buffs… we were ready to explore!
Here are the places you gotta go check out if you love nature, and finding free (or cheap) things to do: Multnomah Falls. Towering at a staggering 620 feet, it’s the tallest waterfall in the state of Oregon. It’s views are immaculately stunning, and best of all… it’s free!!! Beacon Rock. Just twenty minutes away from Multnomah Falls is a hiker’s dream! This 848 - foot volcanic plug hosts some ah-maz-ing views. So amazing that words can’t even really describe, you just have to see it yourself (another reason why you should totally stick around to watch my Portland vlog at the end of this blog post). The Chinese Gardens. If you’re a blogger, vlogger, or just want to take some beautiful family pictures… The Chinese Gardens is definitely the place to do it. The views are so unreal that people will swear your photo has a backdrop. Plus, it’s only a $10 entry fee and you can hang out there as long as you want!
The People.
Portland seriously has some of the nicest locals I’ve ever encountered. Being a brown girl, I always pay attention to how many other people in the city look like me, and to be honest… I didn’t see many. But the signs of inclusion (race, sex, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, etc.) posted in restaurants and shops alike, the tributes to our 1st black president scattered around the city and in neighborhoods, and the fact that most people are probably high because marijuana is legal there (and high people are usually happy people, and happiness is contagious), truly made me feel warm and welcomed.
I just honestly cannot say enough good things about my trip to Portland, and perhaps I’ve persuaded you to want to make a trip there as well. Buuuuut, if you still need a little more convincing… check out my Portland vlog below to see what this beautiful city has to offer.